Mercy Health – Anderson Hospital Receives Awards from the American Heart Association for Excellence in Heart Attack Care

Mercy Health - Cincinnati, which provides advanced, quality, compassionate care in your neighborhood through its care network, announces that Anderson Hospital has received two awards from the American Heart Association - the Mission: Lifeline® Bronze Plus and Silver Awards for excellence in heart attack care.

Anderson Hospital’s heart care team earned the awards for implementing specific quality improvement measures outlined by the American Heart Association for the treatment of patients who suffer severe heart attacks.

Every year, more than 250,000 people experience an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the deadliest type of heart attack caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart that requires timely treatment. To prevent death, it’s critical to restore blood flow as quickly as possible, either by mechanically opening the blocked vessel or by providing clot-busting medication.

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program’s goal is to reduce system barriers to prompt treatment for heart attacks, beginning with the 9-1-1 call and continuing through hospital treatment.

“When it comes to heart attacks, there’s an expression that minutes mean muscle. Our team at Anderson Hospital knows that the quicker we provide appropriate treatment, the more of our patients’ heart muscle we will be able to save. I congratulate our team on implementing the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline quality guidelines to help us ensure our patients have the best possible outcomes,” said Ken James, Mercy Health East Market President and CEO.

The national standard developed by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology calls for less than 90 minutes to pass from the time the patient arrives at a treating facility until the coronary artery is opened. This is referred to as the “door to balloon time.” Prompt intervention significantly reduces patient morbidity and mortality and ensure patients retain the most heart function possible.

“We commend Anderson Hospital for earning these achievement awards, which reflect a significant institutional commitment to the highest quality of care for their heart attack patients,” said James G. Jollis, MD, Chair of the Mission: Lifeline Advisory Working Group. “Winning these awards means the hospital has met specific reporting and achievement measures for the treatment of their patients who suffer heart attacks and we applaud them for their commitment to quality and timely care.”

The American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline program helps hospitals and emergency medical services develop systems of care that follow proven standards and procedures for STEMI patients. The program works by mobilizing teams across the continuum of care to implement American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Foundation clinical treatment guidelines. For more information, visit heart.org.